Moving homes is a stressful life event for most people! A DIY move might save you money but if not properly managed, it can turn into a disaster! Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be a nightmare if you prepare well in advance and have the right equipment to move loads safely and efficiently.
Planning is key for a successful DIY move and this could include booking trailer hire Melbourne rental companies have to offer clients like you in such events. Keep reading as we share more useful tips for ensuring a successful DIY home move, taking the stress out of this otherwise daunting life event!
5 Useful Tips for a Successful DIY Home Move
1. Plan Ahead: Have a Timeline
The key to a successful move, either with professional movers or doing it yourself, is having a timeline and preparing in advance. Knowing when the move has to take place gives you a date to work towards, while also motivating you to keep going.
A timeline should have the day of the move as well as milestones leading up to it. For example, have dates by which certain items will be packed that you don’t use often. Then the last few weeks are less stressful and busy.
While planning a timeline, draw up a checklist of things that are needed before the moving day such as packaging materials, trailer or truck rental and extra hands to lighten the load. This makes your timeline an action plan.
2. Declutter and Pack: Get Packaging Supplies
Moving homes is the ideal opportunity for decluttering items you no longer need. Whether you’re downscaling or not, getting rid of household goods you haven’t used in a while reduces the number of things you need to move on D-day. Set aside time to go through each room and discard, sell or give away excess, unnecessary ‘stuff’.
The next step is to identify goods that can be packed in advance. As mentioned above, these are items that you can do without two to three weeks before moving into your new home. Purchase packaging supplies such as boxes and sealing tape and aim to pack as much as you can a few weeks before the actual move. Label each box clearly so you can place them in the right rooms when offloading on moving day.
3. Book a Truck or Trailer Rental
If you don’t have a vehicle that can haul a trailer safely, you’ll have to consider a truck rental or trailer hire services. Whether you book cage trailer hire or truck rental make sure it’s sufficient for moving your household goods safely.
Rental companies often offer a wide selection of trailers, each one meant for hauling different types of loads. Knowing what type of loads you’ll be moving helps you make the right choice in trailers.
When towing a trailer, be aware of road safety vehicle regulations and ensure you abide by the local laws. Also, ensure your trailer is certified for road use. A reputable hiring company should be able to provide you with documentation as well as advice when booking a trailer for your move.
4. Moving Labour: Decide Who Will Help on the Day
Household items such as refrigerators, beds, bookcases and couches are heavy and cumbersome to work with. It’s not something you should attempt to do on your own if you want to minimise physical and mental strain on the day of the move! Decide whether you need to hire professional moving labour or if you’ll ask friends or family who are willing to offer an extra hand on moving day.
Moving labour of any kind makes it easier and faster to load and offload goods from start to end. Delegating extra hands to different rooms speeds up the process while keeping the workflow under control and methodical.
5. Pack an Essentials Bag
Even if you have done the preparations well in advance, booked the trailer and organised extra hands for loading and offloading, your first night at your new home can be chaotic! When you’re exhausted after a day of moving, the last thing you want to be doing is hunting down your toiletries or bedding!
Packing an essentials bag the day before the move ensures you have the necessary items to see you through the first night in your new house. This box should include the following:
- Toilet paper
- Toiletries
- Medication
- Mobile phone chargers
- Bed linen
- Cleaning supplies
- Torch and spare batteries
Packing the essentials box in your vehicle and putting it somewhere easily accessible in the new house will make the first night so much easier.
Tip: packing plastic cups, paper towels and eating utensils is also useful if you intend to get takeaways for your first evening meal in your new home.
Final Thoughts
Preparation is key to the success of your DIY home move and planning well in advance will save you a lot of anxiety and frazzled nerves on D-day! Planning your move as if it were a project allows you to implement tasks smoothly and efficiently with minimal stress.
Now, good luck!
